Save Me
by Eia San
Summary: Not everything is always as it seems; sometimes we hide ourselves for the sake of salvation, but everybody needs saving every now and then, Fuyuumi just didn’t know how to let herself be rescued. FuyuumixShinobuxKanazawa *love triangles are awesome*
1. Chapter 1

***Please Read First***

**I always thought that Fuyuumi was always an under-developed character so this fanfic is about exploring her unchartered character. There isn't really ANYTHING in the series pertaining to her home life so I have tweaked it as best suited to this fic.**

**Sorry for the short uneventful opening chap, but I needed to set this background first. **

**Cheers, Eia**

He smelt like cigarette's and dried tea leaves, a combination that Fuyuumi found at once both comforting and intoxicating.

The smell was like an old friend, she took a deep breath of it in greeting as she clutched the new practice room roster to her chest. The slumbering Kanazawa didn't stir at her presence, only nuzzled his head deeper into the couch's single cushion as he settled in his sleep.

How many times had this same scene played out before? This office, this man, her creeping in like a thief and the characteristic quickening of her heart beat. It had become more than a routine; it was like a perpetual game, one she just couldn't seem to win at.

She clutched the freshly printed sheets to her chest like a shield; they were still warm and were mingling the scent of ink in the already thick air. Wasn't she getting too old for this?

Crush's on teachers was a middle school trait. She should have grown out of it, but she hadn't. She just couldn't forget the kindness he had shown her the first time they had met. She had been at the school for an orientation program. Her mother had dropped her off at the school entrance and told her to "Be a good little girl and don't get into any trouble. Pick up any information and forms your father and I might need and I will send someone to come pick you up this afternoon."

And then she had gone, leaving a frightened twelve year old Fuyuumi at the entrance of a large and strange school. And no one had come for her at the appointed time. She had bravely waited hours before she let the first tendrils of fear creep up to make her cry. She didn't know how to get home, she didn't even know where a phone was to try to call someone or if there would even be anyone at home she could get a hold of.

She had sat on a bench in the deserted school and simply cried with the open despair only the young seem to generate so well. And then he had come.

"There, there." He had said, patting down her hair in comfort. "You're too old to be crying so loudly, here have some tea. Oops, sorry about that! I guess I did make it a while ago didn't I…you don't mind cold tea do you?"

And that was that. He had taken her home and with only those words and cup of cold tea he had gained her trust and her love.

"Ah Fuyuumi-chan! I didn't know you were here!" Fuyuumi snatched her hand away from Kanazawa as if burnt, dropping the bundle of sheets in her hand to scatter at her feet. She whirled around to face Hino as the older girl smiled and bent down to retrieve the lost rosters. "I am sorry Fuyuumi-chan I didn't mean to startle you like that."

Fuyuumi was frozen, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

As Hino straightened with the retrieved forms in hand the slumbering Kanazawa finally awoke. He sat up straight on the sofa then stretched an arm lazily above his head. He turned his amber eyes upon Fuyuumi so casually that she felt suddenly ashamed.

"E-excuse me!"

She didn't hear the words Hino called out after, for her heart was hammering so loudly in her ears that it drowned out everything else around her as she fled from the room.

--

"I'm home!" Fuyuumi listened as her voice echoed around the empty living room. She hadn't really expected a reply, yet everyday when she entered the empty living space she still called out none the less.

Sometimes there would be a reply, but not today.

Fuyuumi began peeling off her uniform as she climbed the stairs to her room. She threw open the door, not bothering to shut it again, as she dropped her school jacket and tie on the floor before collapsing on her bed.

She stared at the peach coloured walls for a minute before sighing. She hated that colour. _I wonder if father was the one who chose that colour…was it because he likes it or because he thought I would?_

"Maybe he didn't think about it at all."

Fuyuumi pushed herself up from the bed. This room had been hers for almost five years now, yet it held no imprint of her. She hadn't changed a thing in here since moving in. The curtains were the same, the walls, the cupboards…it could have been anyone's room so devoid of personal effects was it. _It suits me though_, she thought.

"A boring room for a boring girl."

Fuyuumi's eyes went wide as soon as the words had left her lips and she lifted a hand to cover her mouth in shock. She hadn't meant to be so pessimistic; she didn't want to be that kind of person at all.She couldn't let things like that get to her today…today was embarrassing enough.

But it would be alright, she would apologize for being so rude to both Hino and Sensei tomorrow. She wondered what Kanazawa had thought of her sudden outburst as she changed from her uniform and descended downstairs. Maybe he would just think she was feeling a bit ill?

Fuyuumi shrugged off the thought as she entered the kitchen. On the bench, still in its wrapping, sat a pre-packaged dinner with a note attached to the top; 'Fuyuumi; won't be home until tomorrow, Mother'

Fuyuumi replaced the card on top of the food then moved towards the fridge. She pulled out some eggs; milk and sauce then began to make herself an omelette and some tea. She sat down at the empty dining table and ate her dinner silently, letting the cup of tea go cold before she reached out to take a sip.


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to thank everyone who left such enthusiastic comments; I didn't think this fiction would pick up very quickly! Thanks again for the support,**

**Regards Eia**

**--**

It came to her suddenly on the wind; a placid whisper of faint, gentle notes. But the higher she climbed the greater they swelled until the crisp chirping notes were strung together beautifully in song.

Fuyuumi paused inside the exit door to listen, for a moment, to Yunoki's flute. She thought that it had been far too long since she had heard it last. She smiled to herself, then pushed on the door handle and exited into the sunlight.

Yunoki paused from his playing and turned to greet her with a smile. "Good afternoon Fuyuumi-san." She smiled back without hesitation, no blush upon her cheeks. "Good afternoon Yunoki-sempai." To an outsider the greeting wouldn't have seemed all that significant, but to anyone who really knew the pair it would seem slightly strange; Fuyuumi hardly ever greeted students (especially male) without a pause of embarrassment reddening her cheeks. And as for those who _really_ knew Yunoki, well…

"Your not practicing today Fuyuumi-san? That's a change. You usually practice in the afternoons before break."

"Oh no, not today."

There was silence for a time as Fuyuumi settled on the bench. She watched Yunoki as he cleaned his flute, knowing that if anyone else from their school had been sitting there instead of her he probably wouldn't have allowed the little lines of frustration in his brow to emerge as he cleaned the smaller components of the flute.

She had found out about him, completely by accident. A junior had followed him to the music department to give him a letter of confession, while Fuyuumi had been trying to track him down in order to give him a form from Kanazawa. She had stayed hidden through the confession, unintentionally hearing Yunoki's flattered words then his gentle reply of "I am sorry, I must focus on my music and academic studies before I can think about such things."

She had waited a few minutes after the girl had left, floating down the hall despite her apparent rejection, before going into the practice room. She hadn't expected to find him as he had been, his head bowed with a look of complete frustration on his face. He had pinched the spot between his brows, as if a headache plagued him, as his mumbled words reached her. "As if I would go for someone like that!"

When the door had clicked shut Yunoki had looked up with shock and panic, his mouth dropping open with the surprise before he hastily tried to cover it with his usual cool façade.

She had known then, what a mask his charms were. "It's ok Yunoki-sempai! You don't have to always keep it up; you can let it go once in a while. I won't tell anyone." Her words had been a shock, even to her, but they had yielded her a surprising gift; Yunoki had smiled a genuine smile.

She knew that Yunoki wasn't really as 'nice' as he allowed people (especially girls) to believe. He felt slighted easily and there was sometimes a cruelty in his humour that bordered on sadistic. But she didn't dislike him for it, nor think less of him for putting up a front for other people. It felt like they were both in a club, a secret club where people who had different personalities they hid from others gathered. It felt like she and Yunoki were really friends underneath it all.

Fuyuumi wondered suddenly at how her relationships with people could be so heavily influenced by one moment, one chance meeting. If Kanazawa hadn't been her knight in shining armour that day, with cold tea in hand, would she still haven fallen for him? If she hadn't witnessed a moment of weakness in Yunoki would they have become friends?

"Fuyuumi-san?"

Yunoki's voice snapped her back to reality with a sudden jolt. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Yunoki laughed at the sudden seriousness in her voice. "It was nothing, you just seemed to have fallen into such serious thoughts I wondered if you were alright."

"Oh yes I am fine. Was just thinking about… well a little bit of everything I guess. This year went by so fast! I can't believe this year's concours are over already, and that it will be the last time I get to see Yunoki sempai in them. Are you scared about graduating at the end of the year?"

Yunoki just shrugged nonchalantly, an answer in itself. "No. I don't think much will change. But I expect you to try harder next year Fuyuumi; you let yourself down at the beginning by always being so nervous."

Fuyuumi blushed at the sudden criticism. "Yunoki-sempai too, you shouldn't have held back either!"

For a moment Yunoki looked shocked before he burst out laughing at the indignant look Fuyuumi had cast him. "Sometimes I forget you aren't always so bashful and reserved!"

"But it's true! Sempai might have had a chance to win more if you had been serious from the start!"

Yunoki wiped tears of laughter from the corner of his eyes, sobering up at her words. "Maybe, or maybe not. But enough of that, I hear you are going to join the orchestra over the break."

Fuyuumi's head shot up in surprise, "How did sempai hear that? Kanazawa-sensei only asked me this morning?" Yunoki tapped his nose conspiratorially, "Word got out to Hihara and he simply assumed you would accept and has already filled me in, with much excitement too. He seemed quite enthusiastic at the idea that you would join him and Shinobu-san"

Fuyuumi bit her lip, "Well I hadn't actually decided whether or not I would do it yet. I wouldn't really play all the time, they already have enough clarinets. But I would mostly accompany on piano a bit and really just be there to help organize and assist."

Yunoki raised his eyebrow sceptically, "So your precious Kanazawa asked you to do something and you _didn't_ jump on the chance to please him?"

Fuyuumi's face went scarlet as her head darted from side to side frantically. "Sshh! Sempai you can't so that so easily! W-what if someone heard you?"

Yunoki smiled wickedly, "Say what? That you _like_ Kanazawa-sempai?" He hadn't thought it possible that Fuyuumi's face could be any more flushed, but as he raised his words a little louder the blush on her face spread to her neck like a sunburn. He thought for a moment that she might burst into tears, "Fuyuumi-san," he began, the cruelty in his voice slipping away, "You should think seriously about it. Kanazawa-sensei probably has a lot of faith in you if he asked you to help out with the Orchestra club. Plus it would give you a chance to continue playing and studying music over the break."

Yunoki packed up his flute as Fuyuumi sifted through his words. It _would_ give her something to do over the break. She usually finished all of her homework within the first week leaving her with little else to do for the rest of the holiday. And it would be a good opportunity to get out and make more friends.

Fuyuumi nodded to herself, feeling suddenly more cheerful until Yunoki's final taunt reached her from the exit. "Plus it couldn't hurt your chances for getting with Kanawa-sensei."

"Yunoki-sempai!!"

--

"Fuyuumi-san!!" Hihara's voice carried through the crowd easily, halting the pre-mentioned girl's steps. Fuyuumi turned back hesitantly as Hihara bustled through the sea of students towards her.

"I heard from Kanazawa-sensei that you joined our Orchestra Club!" Fuyuumi smiled weakly; truly no gossip or news got past this boisterous lad. "Oh… yes, well K-kanazawa- sensei thought I might be able to help."

Hihara flashed her a broad smile, "You help out Kanazawa-sensei a lot!"

Fuyuumi's cheeks went suddenly scarlet. "Oh N-no it's just that … well I am used to helping out in the music department at school and Kanazawa said that Ousaki-sempai might need some extra help handling the Orchestra…because Kanazawa was going to be away for the holidays that is…"

Hihara patted her on the back, a little bit too enthusiastically. "It's still really great that you can help! Shinobu-sempai is an awesome instructor; you will have a lot of fun I promise!"

Fuyuumi waved goodbye to Hihara, rubbing her now sore shoulder. But as she walked home there was a lightness to her steps and a small smile on her face. She had a good feeling that Hihara would be right.


	3. Chapter 3

**I want to thank everyone again for the support of this fiction, it is still coming as a bit of a surprise (I shouldn't have underestimated the Fuyuumi chan fanbase =P) Lol I am endeavouring for more of a presence from Kanazawa (thanks to the prompts from sakR9!!) so hopefully things will be more interesting now that Fuyuumi, Sensei and Shinobu can interact! **

**Regards, Eia**

**Chapter 3**

Fuyuumi couldn't stop fidgeting. Her fingers were wrapped so tightly around the kerchief in her hand that her knuckles were actually showing up white.

She dared another swift glance at Kanazawa beside her. But he didn't notice her watching him from beneath her lashes. His eyes were staring straight ahead at the road; his concentration going all towards driving.

She dared to allow herself a moment to consider his face. His straight jaw was lined with a day's growth of stubble, and there were little crows feet at the edges of his amber eyes, probably from all his smiling.

His skin was much more tanned than hers too. She compared the pale creamy hands twisted in her lap to the much larger and sun kissed fingers that were curled around the clutch stick, she wondered if the skin on top was smooth or rough to the touch…

"Sorry again to make you come all this way with me. But the new stands we ordered for the club arrived and I wanted some help sorting it out. You didn't mind did you?"

Fuyuumi glanced up suddenly as Kanazawa's eyes shifted from the road to her. She felt a flush redden her cheeks the longer his gaze held onto hers.

"N-no of course not, I was happy to help sensei!"

He smiled warmly at her words before turning back to the road. Fuyuumi's heart skipped a beat and she was glad he wasn't looking at her when she swallowed nervously.

It had been a while since she had been in this car. Her memories were mingling with the current moment as she tried to drink in all she could; the smell of aftershave and air freshener, the little trinkets that lined the dash, discarded pens and empty cigarette packets, the Chopin cd that was playing softly in the background. She tried to find something personal about all the contents of his car as she sat quietly in the passenger seat.

She had been shocked when he had asked her to accompany him on a trip to the music store after school. Her excitement and nerves were making her tongue tied though and she feared that her presence might be awkward or boring for him.

She tried desperately to think of something to talk about. _The stands look good, very sturdy; did we only pick up four because of new members? It's not too far a drive from the school to the music shop is it? It seems a shame… I wouldn't mind riding for a bit longer with sensei…_

"I am glad Fuyuumi-san decided to join the orchestra club. Ousaki is a very competent student; though I shouldn't really call him a student after all he has been graduated from Seiso for almost three years now. But I was worried that he might need some help over the break. He still has his part time job and studies at the university to take care of, and I know that Fuyuumi-san is very good with organization and management."

"Ah, thank you very much Sensei." Fuyuumi mumbled, embarrassed by his sudden praise. She felt Kanazawa glance over at her again but she didn't have the courage this time to return his stare.

"Actually you and Shinobu are a little bit alike; you're both very quietly competent. That is why I took him on as an intern I guess, and why I always bother Fuyuumi-san to help me. Perhaps I shouldn't be so troublesome."

"Its not troublesome for me at all I really love helping Sensei out!"

Kanazawa glanced over in surprise at her sudden outburst. Fuyuumi recalled herself and covered her mouth in embarrassment. She had sounded far too eager; she was going to make a fool of herself soon.

But Kanazawa only smiled at her again. "Well I am glad to hear that I am not troubling Fuyuumi-san at all. Sometimes I am not always too sure about Fuyuumi's feelings because you are so quiet and composed. I worry that even if I did put you out you wouldn't say anything to me. So please be sure that if you ever feel overwhelmed, about anything, that you tell me."

Fuyuumi felt words of gratitude clog up in her throat. She only managed to nod seriously as a reply, her hands finally relaxing in her lap. The only thing that seemed to overwhelm her was Kanazawa's concern.

"Ah, here we are."

Fuyuumi felt a little disappointed as they pulled into the academy's entrance. She had enjoyed being alone with Kanazawa, even if only for a short errand such as picking up some music stands. He just had a way of making her feel so…warm, like coming home to something familiar and comforting.

As they both unloaded the stands Fuyuumi finally ventured to ask a question. "Is Kanazawa-sensei looking forward to the trip to Europe?"

"Well yes, I haven't been on a trip for a while, even if it is for a conference. Though hopefully I will have enough time to go site seeing while I am there!" Kanazawa laughed as they passed through the empty yard towards the stadium. Fuyuumi trailed behind him, following the line of his foot prints and marvelling at the size difference as she stepped into the indentations left in his wake.

"Ah! Kanazawa-sensei, Fuyuumi-san!" Hihara bounded forward excitedly, plucking the load out of Fuyuumi's hands automatically. "Oh, thank you Hihara-sempai."

Kanazawa shifted the load in his own arms to look at his watch with a raised eyebrow. "You're here a bit early aren't you Kazuki? You usually always arrive _after_ set up."

"Oh that's my fault sensei, I asked him to come in early." A young man replied, stepping out from behind Hihara. Fuyuumi thought he looked somewhat familiar but couldn't recall if she had ever met him before. As she scrutinized him distractedly he suddenly turned to face her. Catching her stare he smiled, but Fuyuumi turned aside quickly with embarrassment.

"Ah, good thing you're here Ousaki. This is Fuyuumi-san, the first year student I was talking about to you. She agreed to help manage the Orchestra over the summer break in my stead."

The slim red head turned towards Fuyuumi with a smile, hand extended. "It's nice to meet you Fuyuumi-san, I am Shinobu Ousaki. Thank you for agreeing to help us out."

She swallowed her shyness and reached out to take a hold of Shinobu's hand. She was surprised by how large and warm his palm was as her fingers slipped in beneath his own. She could feel the hardened tips, calloused to a thick armour. He probably played a stringed instrument.

"The pleasure is mine." She replied in a voice barely above a whisper.

Kanazawa clapped his hands suddenly in the silence after the pleasantries. "Well I had better get going. I still have a few things to organise and I fear I am running out of time. But I will come back for another practice day before I leave to say goodbye."

Fuyuumi watched as Kanazawa shook Shinobu's hand and ruffled Hihara's hair playfully. For a split second she wondered what he would do to part with her. She doubted he would shake her hand, that was probably too masculine a farewell. And she didn't think he would ruffle her hair either (though she wasn't too sure just yet that she wouldn't actually enjoy it).

Instead he turned to her last, bathing her in the warmth of one his infamous smiles, which she so loved, and bid her; "Take care of yourself Fuyuumi-san, and don't push yourself too hard."

And then he was gone. Climbing into his car and driving off with a wave of his hand, leaving her to face this strange new world.

--//--

"Alright, and this is where we keep all the bulky musical equipment like the chairs and stands, and in that room over there is a small office where all the records are kept. There is a little computer and a printer in there also so most of the time I make up rosters and announcements from here, though the printer is a little old and tends to break down a lot."

Fuyuumi nodded gravely as Shinobu gave her a quick tour, explaining to her all he could before practice. "We usually always practice in these rooms because it's big enough for our members but not as big as the auditorium. Some of the newer members find it more comforting, it can be a bit intimidating practicing in that empty theatre. Though I am sure I don't have tell Fuyuumi-san that, as I recall you were one of the participants in the concours this year. You play the clarinet don't you?"

Fuyuumi paused for a moment, surprised by the direct question. "Ah, yes sempai."

Shinobu smiled at her shy formality. "You don't have to call me 'sempai', Shinobu is fine." Fuyuumi tried it out at his prompting with a blush. "O-ok…Shinobu-san."

"It's a shame that we already have so many clarinets, but you don't mind just accompanying on the piano do you?"

"No sem - I mean Shinobu-san, I don't mind."

Fuyuumi stood to the side and watched as the members for the orchestra began to trickle in one by one. She soon found out from listening to the other conversations that most of the new members were actually amateur musicians just looking for a way to participate and further their skills. Some of them didn't even have their own instruments and borrowed some off the school. They were mostly gen-ed students, and she was surprised by how easily everyone got along.

When the room was fairly crowded Shinobu stepped forward and began to organise the rabble. "Welcome to both new and old members, I am glad too see so many of you here. Just a few quick announcements before we begin, practice schedules for over the break haven't quite been finalised yet. A few people came forward and told me some of the preliminary times were a bit conflictive so we have shuffled it around a bit to try to suit everyone. But next week on Tuesday will definitely be the first holiday practice and I will have the final timetables made up for everyone by then."

Fuyuumi was surprised by how easily Shinobu gained everyone's attention. His voice was not loud, but it carried through the room and had instantly garnered everyone's concentration.

"Also a lot of you have probably heard that Kanazawa-sensei won't be here for the majority of the summer practice, but he has nominated a very talented first year student to assist in his stead. So be sure to come up and introduce yourself properly at some point, but this is Fuyuumi Shouko."

Shinobu stepped aside, his hand extended towards her, beckoning her forward. She felt her face flush as every eye suddenly turned towards her. She bowed deeply, more to hide her face then as a formality, and tried to greet them with a loud steady voice. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you all; I hope I can be of assistance over the summer break."

She heard more than a few people return her greeting, but didn't dare look into the audience when she straightened back up. She hoped no one noticed her knees shaking. But she didn't have long to worry about it for soon Shinobu was in charge again, organising everyone into their places so that they could begin practice.

--//--

"I'm home!" Fuyuumi slipped her shoes off at the entrance as her voice echoed through the house. She paused in shock as suddenly a voice replied to her greeting.

"Is that you Shouko?" A tall woman sauntered out from the dining room, a long thin arm wrapped around a slender waist. Fuyuumi looked up at her mother with shock. "I didn't know you would be back so early Mother."

"Yes well the Foster deal fell through so I didn't see the point in staying." Her eyes shifted quickly to the clock mounted on the wall. "Aren't you home a bit late? I thought the summer break was about to begin."

Fuyuumi followed her mother as she retreated back into the dining room. The table was littered with piles of papers and sprawling manila folders. She seated herself at the head of the scattered mess and picked up a half empty glass of red wine.

"Oh well, Kanazawa-sensei recommended that I join the school Orchestra club over the summer holidays."

"Oh that's nice."

Fuyuumi stood behind her mother for a few minutes more, but her mother's head remained bent over her papers and she didn't venture to speak again.

Fuyuumi collapsed on her bed upstairs, not bothering to close her door behind her. She knew what her mother would be like for the rest of the night. Chances were she would fall asleep in her chair, empty wine glass and scattered papers still out.

Fuyuumi thought about the days events as she pulled her clarinet case onto her lap, undoing the little silver clasps and retrieving the bits and pieces of her instrument. It hadn't been too bad, a bit embarrassing at first but it had gone much more smoothly later.

She had mostly just accompanied on piano like Shinobu had said, but some of the girls in the clarinet section had actually come up and asked her for help with fingering. She had actually been able to show them quite successfully, and afterwards they had thanked her quite openly. It had made her feel happy.

She had asked Hihara later about the amount of beginners in the orchestra. "Well that was Shinobu's idea; he had discussed it with Kanazawa to allow for more amateurs to be allowed to join. He thought it would generate more of an interest in music amongst the gen-ed students and would help them get along better with the music students."

She considered Shinobu again for a while. He used to be a student at Seiso three years ago, but she really didn't know much more about him than that. He was Kanazawa's intern but surprisingly she hadn't really met him until today. He seemed nice enough and she could vaguely recall having seen him with Hino-sempai. Were they friends perhaps?

Fuyuumi put the reed to her lips and closed her eyes. Her thoughts began to dissipate as the notes flowed from her clarinet. It was so easy to just 'be' when she played. She tried not to think much at all, just to feel the music as it came to her. This feeling of peace when the notes came together so effortlessly and the anonymity with which they bonded, it was these reasons why she loved music so much.

* * *


End file.
